Bauch is seeking more than $75,000 in compensatory damages plus punitive damages to be determined at trial, along with all attorney fees, expert fees and court costs.

Bauch’s lawsuit alleges 10 counts — right to equal protection; deprivation of due process; fraud in the inducement; negligent training, supervision and retention on the part of Children Services; negligent training, supervision and retention on the part of Family Life; spoliation of evidence; defamation; intentional infliction of emotional distress; loss of companionship; and civil conspiracy.

Harrelson issued a response by email.

“While we are aware of the lawsuit, we will respond fully and only in the appropriate form,” she wrote. “One of the great things about our country is that citizens can seek redress to their claims and that our courts have the wisdom and responsibility to determine the real merits of the case.

“We look forward to this matter being before the court and a fair and just hearing of the actual facts. Beyond this, we cannot comment specifically on this case as both Ohio and federal law regarding confidentiality prohibit us from doing so.”

According to the lawsuit, the issues started in January 2011 when Children Services investigated a claim that Bauch was sexually abusing his daughter, then 4. On Jan. 21, Bauch’s daughter was placed in the custody of Children Services.

In the suit, Bauch said the agency relied on information provided by an individual who had been “scorned” by Bauch.

“... the defendants fought Mr. Bauch at every turn and did everything in their collective power to make the process as difficult and expensive as possible in the hope that Mr. Bauch would simply give up,” the suit says.

On Feb. 24, 2011, the suit alleges Gilliland, Kline and Brandy — with Parker’s knowledge — falsely represented that all claims of sexual abuse would be dropped if Bauch agreed to have his daughter adjudicated as a dependent child.

On March 4, Bauch said, he voluntarily submitted to a polygraph administered by the Ohio Bureau of Criminal Identification and Investigation.

“The BCI-administered polygraph definitively demonstrated that Mr. Bauch was being truthful, that he had never sexually abused (his daughter) and that he was not a danger to her,” the suit says.

Children Services reportedly placed the girl in foster care and referred her to Family Life for participation in a sexual abuse recovery program.

The suit alleges that between Aug. 22 and Nov. 23, 2011, the defendants destroyed a security camera tape showing an incident in the agency lobby. Bauch maintains the tape was “highly incriminating” and supported his allegations of “wrongful and disparate” treatment.

In September 2012, Juvenile Court Judge Ron Spon ordered the agency to pay $15,000 in fines and reimbursements for criminal contempt of court for not turning over the video.

The suit claims Kline reported that Bauch was responsible for “hundreds of inappropriate photos of the child in various stages of undress ... that were posted on the Internet.”

The suit alleges Kline later admitted under oath that the photos were not objectionable.

Further, the suit says the defendants, particularly Gilliland, told an independent psychologist that Children Services would not pay her full bill unless she supported their claims the girl was sexually abused.

Bauch claims in his suit the girl’s counseling continued until March 13, 2012, when the defendants issued a notice of disposition indicating the allegations of sexual abuse were “unsubstantiated.”

Custody was restored to Bauch in February 2014.

“The trauma caused by the defendants has resulted in immeasurable damage to Mr. Bauch and (his daughter) individually and to their family unit,” the suit said.

Canton attorney Laura Mills is representing Bauch.

“It’s kind of a nightmare story,” she said. “He wants some accountability for what happened.”